Warped Devotions
by Zhou-Mak
Summary: The only monsters that are still alive are the human kind. This is a story about a damsel in distress and how she is saved, and how she saves her savior. No one is purely innocent, but life without innocence is still a life worth living.
1. The First Night

A/N: Okay, here's the story. It's got some very adult themes, and abuse plays a heavy part in the story. You have been warned. If this upsets you, then do not read.

Disclaimer: Love Hina belongs to the people it belongs to, none of which (unfortunately) are me.

LOVE HINA: WARPED DEVOTIONS

CHAPTER ONE: THE FIRST NIGHT

A beautiful eighteen year old girl is walking up the hallway of the apartment dorms at Tokyo U. She has a content smile on her face and is lost in the memories of her wonderful afternoon. Her hair appears to be a dark shade of blue, almost black. Most people say that she dyes, and while dark blue hair is uncommon, this young beauty obtained that unique touch naturally. Her eyes are blue, not a light, sky blue, but a dark, deep shade of the color. She is wearing a knee-length light green skirt and a matching t-shirt, with a light blue vest over it. She has a small black leather purse slung lazily over her shoulder. She swings a wicker basket, upon which is a checkerboard table cloth, in the hand that isn't holding the purse. The sky behind her is speckled with clouds, none of which threaten rain. _Saturday was a perfect day for a picnic lunch,_ the young girl thinks. Her name is Maehara Shinobu.

She fished around in her purse for the room key to 426, her apartment that she shared with her boyfriend. Her delicate hand grasped the knob, and turned it open. She stepped inside and with a cheery voice proclaimed, "I'm back Sean." after setting her purse and vest on the rack, and the basket on a table beside the door. There was no answer, so she walked over to the kitchen, where she saw Sean looking in the fridge. He closed the door and looked at her with cold eyes. Before she had time to move, his arms shot out and grabbed her by the shoulders. He threw her backwards with all the force he could muster. She hit the wall and bounced off before falling back onto it.

Shinobu slid down the wall and looked up at her boyfriend, Sean, He was another Toudai student and they had been dating for roughly six months. Sean was an American transfer student and decided to go to Tokyo University to get his Psychology degree. He was tall, raven haired, well-built and in short, a _gaijin_ hottie. In high school, he was a football and baseball player, as well as a good student. He wasn't the brightest, but neither was he a lumbering oaf. He did have one major defect though, he was gung-ho for 'discipline.'

"What were you doing with him Shinobu? Huh?" he screamed at her. Shinobu knew where this was going. She knew that seeing her Senpai for lunch would not be good if Sean found out. That's why she went somewhere secluded, but the fact that she had 'snuck away' to enjoy herself with another man somehow managed to reach Sean's ears. Sean had a high belief in discipline, and a rigid moral code for his girlfriends, and she had been out with another man.

"It's obviously been too long since last time Shinobu. I hate to have to do this, but you've forgotten your lessons again. Time for your punishment." Shinobu knew what was going to happen; it wasn't that Shinobu didn't have time to get up from where she fell; it was that she didn't want to. He removed his belt and raised it above his head. The only thoughts Shinobu had were that Sean would be showing that he loved her again. This was his forgiveness; this was his proof of affection. She felt elated.

Shinobu hadn't always thought like this. When she was a little girl, she had read many fairy tales where the prince and princess lived and loved happily ever after. She used to actually believe that love was something like that, something pure and unique, that when people found the one for them that they would know it. Once she understood that love was very little like the fairy tales she read as a child, she started to wonder, like many other children, what love really was. And, like many other little girls, she looked to her parents. Unfortunately for Shinobu, that was a big mistake.

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Shinobu had gone through a painful childhood. Her father was a drunkard, not only that, but he was a violent drunk. So much so that many of the bars refused to give him service. So to get his fix of hooch, he stockpiled a rather large amount of various kinds of alcohol in his residence. In the privacy of his home, he would imbibe until he had his fill. That would usually entail him being drunk enough to become a violent whirlwind. The only sense of preservation he had was to try not to break his possessions. Instead, his violence was directed towards his wife. Luckily for Shinobu, even in his liquored up stupor, she was always 'daddy's little girl.'

Several nights each week, Shinobu could hear her mother pleading with the monster her father would become under the influence of that hateful liquid. All the while wondering why, when the two were alone, they kept saying that they love each other. Shinobu once asked her mom why daddy hit her. Her mother replied, "Because he loves me, it's how he shows he cares." Thus Shinobu grew up with a warped idea of love.

After a particularly violent night, Shinobu's mom finally had enough and shot Shinobu's father. Fortunately enough for Shinobu, she was at a friend's slumber party when this happened. Shinobu went to her father's funeral, her mother went to jail for a time, found guilty of first degree murder, but the judge could not bring himself to force the death penalty, since the killing was really retribution. Shinobu had nowhere else to go, her father's side completely cutting off from her, seeing as how her mom had killed their golden boy, and her mother was an only child.

Shinobu's maternal grandparents tried to take care of her for awhile, but they later heard about an all-girl's dormitory, the _Hinata Sou_. Her grandparents covered the costs of rent so that Shinobu wouldn't have to worry about that, and after a one week trial period, Shinobu was accepted by the rest of the residents.

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Shinobu remembered her initial visit to the _Hinata Sou_, it was an ancient and enormous building, at least three stories tall and built more than a few centuries ago, when the Urashimas were a very powerful family. It was an inn after the family suffered much internal strife, and the current manager, Hina Urashima, decided to convert it into an all-girl's dormitory. It was built very tall and had a high, swooping roof. The halls were very long; the place easily had twenty rooms for each of its three floors. The cherry blossom trees lining the long stone staircase were in full bloom and the sakura petals made everything look pink and hazy, like a good dream. Shinobu felt very depressed that she left that place, she remembered the first night of her trial week like it was yesterday, even though it was almost five years ago.

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Shinobu's first night there was chaotic. She barely had time to put down her bags in the foyer when she found a passing tenant. Unfortunately for Shinobu, she had run into the most rambunctious foreigner ever. The young child was just barely older than Shinobu, but was clearly not anywhere as mature. She was of dark complexion, but with hair that didn't quite look blonde, but it was definitely yellow. She had a red dot in the middle of her forehead and when asked about it, refused to speak on the matter. She apparently liked to wear her middle-school uniform all the time, especially since the clothes that the natives of her home country wore offered little protection against the elements.

After introducing herself as Kaolla Su, the young _gaijin_ lead Shinobu to her room. It was literally a rain forest, the carpet was grass and dirt, and there were trees everywhere, except for a small corner that consisted of a worktable and toolbox. It was there that Su led Shinobu. Su told all about how she liked to create various mechanical things and inventions and proceeded to show off most of her work. After the fourth one blew up in her face, Su asked if Shinobu would like to meet the rest of the house. After a very fast, loud, and desperate yes, Su practically dragged Shinobu off to find another tenant.

As Su was flying down the ancient halls of the _Hinata Sou_, another occupant was awkwardly trying to carry a laundry basket full of clean clothes. Su saw her and she never had a chance.

Su couldn't pass up the chance to demolish whoever was hiding behind the clothesbasket. As Su ran to deliver her jumping kick greeting, she let go of Shinobu. Su jumped into the air, foot forward looking like any generic karate master doofus. The unsuspecting victim, who didn't seem as unsuspecting as was to first be assumed, stepped to the side of Su's special greeting as though she could see Su through the clothes. Shinobu, who managed not to observe the subtle side step, grabbed Su in a futile attempt to get her to stop the drop kick of doom. It would have worked, except for the fact that it didn't. Su used Shinobu as an anchor in midair to turn herself back towards the person who was carrying the basket, knocking her down.

In a rain of clothing, Shinobu caught a glimpse of the person who was holding the basket. She had very long black hair and light brown eyes. She was wearing a white _gi_ with red _hakama_ pants, she also had a katana tied to her waist. She was obviously into kendo, but working hard every day hadn't detracted from her beauty, it enhanced it. She was slender, but toned. She also appeared irritated, understandable, since the clean clothes she was carrying would have to be rewashed, re-dried, and then refolded. The hallways were very dirty, no one having cleaned them since the _kanrinin _(manager), Grandma Hina, left a little over a month ago.

"Su, do you have any idea how long it will take to get all this clean again?" the kendo girl asked, irritated.

"Nope," replied the little middle schooler, "have you met our newest resident?" Su gestured towards Shinobu with a smile on her face as she jumped up.

"No I have not." The swordswoman stood up and extended her hand to assist the new face to her feet.

"Hello, I'm Maehara Shinobu," stated the young girl, albeit with some hesitation, since she was unsure of what to expect. She grasped the kendo girl's hand and let herself be pulled up as the young woman introduced herself.

"My name is Aoyama Motoko. I am sorry about Su, she is…excitable. If you'll wait, I'll get everyone together in the living room so you can meet us all in the proper manner. It's too bad that Grandma Hina is away, but Haruka can probably tell you where your room will be. The living room is just to your right as you exit the hallway. Su, can you help me find everyone?" Su, who had been standing there the whole time jumped onto Motoko's shoulders the moment her name was called.

"Okies! I'll see you later Shinobu."

Shinobu walked down the hallway and wondered who the next weird person she would meet would be. She got in the living room and saw someone sprawled out on the couch. She was dressed in grey capri pants with a similar colored tank top. She had a small cup of sake in one hand, and a bunch of racing tickets in the other. Her eyes were squinting, but it didn't look like she stressed to keep them that way. She had short cut grey hair, but it didn't make her look old, just mature. She opened one eye all the way and Shinobu found out that they were a lovely shade of blue, just like hers.

"Hello, and who are you, young lady?" her voice had just a hint of a southern drawl, enough to be cute, but not annoying.

"My name is Maehara Shinobu," she replied.

"Well, nice to meet you Shinobu, I'm Konno Mitsune, but you and everyone else can call me Kitsune, you know, like the fox. Speaking of which, have you met everyone else?" As she spoke, she set down what she was holding and sit up to shake hands with Shinobu.

Shinobu thought that Kitsune had quite a strong grip to shake her arm like that, but she still managed to squeak out a response, "I think so. I've met Su, Motoko, and now you. Is there anyone else?"

"You haven't even met Naru? Where is that girl?" As if in answer to her question, a voice came out of the kitchen.

"Darn, not again. Kitsune get the number for that pizza place, we're gonna need it."

Shinobu walked into the kitchen eager to meet the last resident of the crazy house, when she smelled something burning. Shinobu often had to cook the meals of the house, since her mother would have sore hands, and her father was usually out drinking. Regardless of the circumstances, Shinobu knew how to cook, and how to cook well. She was basically a master and her dream was to open a restaurant. Shinobu took little notice of the auburn haired teenager next to the stove as she ran past and grabbed the skillet from her hand. Shinobu put it back on the stove.

"It's not totally ruined, I can still save it. Do you have any paprika?"

"Uh, yeah, it's over here with the rest of the spices." The young woman that one could only guess was Naru pointed over to a cabinet above the stove. Shinobu went to the table and grabbed a chair to stand on to open the cupboard. She fished out several spices, lowered the heat, cut some extra vegetables, and put them into the skillet with the beef and noodles. Naru backed out of the kitchen, a little in awe, a little in fear, and told Kitsune to hold off on the pizza order.

Several minutes later, most of the house was gathered in the dining room patiently waiting for dinner.

"But I wanna eat nooooowww!" whined Su as she was swaying, threatening to topple Motoko.

Ignoring Su's protest, Kitsune said, "So she just barged in there, grabbed the pan, and started throwing stuff in? That right?"

Naru shrugged her shoulders and said, "Yeah, that's about the extent of it. But, if she's bluffing, keep the number handy, k?"

"Okay everybody, dinner's ready!" shouted Shinobu from the kitchen entrance, "We're having the Maehara Surprise."

Su climbed down off of Motoko and asked, "What's a Maehara surprise? Can I eat it?"

As Shinobu started spooning up platefuls of her noodle dish, she smiled and replied affirmatively; unknowingly setting off a new habit for the foreign genius. Shinobu looked at everyone there and finally got a good look at the person she essentially shoved out of the kitchen.

Naru had long brown hair, with two unruly bangs in front, framing her face. She wore an orange sweater and short red skirt. It was more than a little difficult to see her hazel eyes behind her round, thick, glasses. Shinobu let out a little giggle, because she could see Naru looking like that really smart girl from _Scooby-Doo_, Velma.

The girls looked at each other and wondered exactly how the food would taste, since it was burning earlier. Shinobu looked around the room and watched everyone; she was waiting for them to start eating before she did. They were watching for her to start so they knew the food was safe to enjoy. Su finally had enough of all the waiting.

"If no one else wants to eat, I will start." Su lifted the chopsticks to her mouth and took a bite. It only took a few seconds for her to register the food's taste as really really really really gooooooood. She started inhaling the food. Everybody except Shinobu blushed furiously at the embarrassment. Shinobu just smiled and started eating.

During the dinner, Shinobu received many compliments on her culinary talent, ranging from Su's near endless repetition of the word 'really' before finally tacking on a good, and Motoko's eloquent mention of how the young lady transformed a nearly ruined dish into a gourmet masterpiece. Shinobu blushed to such a shade of red that a stop sign would turn green with envy. Once her raging blush calmed down to a minor tinge on cheeks, Shinobu asked some questions about the house, where the manager was, who was running it since Grandma Hina was gone, where here room was, and so forth. She was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.

Standing there was a woman in her late twenties, she wore a khaki apron with the works "Haruka's Tea Café" across the top, it covered an olive-colored, long sleeved shirt and blue jeans. Her eyes were brown and seemed to convey a sense of calm aloofness, which were barely obscured by the white smoke wafting up from the cigarette jutting from her crimson lips. Her hair was the color of dark wood and cut short. The sleeves of her shirt were rolled up to her elbows and she looked disappointed.

"The first time you gals don't order out in a week, and you don't even invite me to dinner?" As she asked, the corners of her mouth turned up in a playful smile, "Who's this? A new resident?" asked Haruka as she finally noticed Shinobu collecting everyone's dishes.

"I am Maehara Shinobu, and I'm pleased to meet you," answered Shinobu cordially, "Are you Haruka? If so, could you please show me to my room so that I can unpack?" Haruka was taken aback a little; she hadn't expected a child so young to be so formal.

"Yeah sure, uh," she looked about in the pockets of her apron for a slip of paper, once she dug it out, she exclaimed, "Oh, yeah, your grandparents were in here a few days ago to set everything up. You'll be in room 201."

"Thank you very much Haruka-san," said Shinobu as she picked up her two small bags and dropped them off in her room, promptly after which, she returned to the dining room to wash the dishes from dinner.

And everything was fine. She didn't have any more questions about love; her time was occupied by cooking, laundry and school. She didn't really like any of the boys in her classes, mostly because they were still kids. But one must remember, while Shinobu is still a child physically, she has done an enormous amount of mental maturing.

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Shinobu was jarred back to reality by the rough hands of Sean hoisting her up from the floor.

"Did you think that I wouldn't care since you went further away? Did you? Why did you go so far huh? Did you want to hide it from me? Well?" he shouted at her. The veins on his neck stood out, every muscle in his body was tense. He was having a fight-or-flight response and he decided on the former. He lifted her up to her feet and raised his right hand, which held the belt. He looked at her and swung the belt in a wide arc, aiming for her arm.

The pain Shinobu felt from hitting the wall was dull around her back, him picking her up was only a light discomfort. She knew what was going to happen. She felt a mix of fear and joy. The hurt lasted, but it was the only way for him to love her. This time was no different, and like every other time, Shinobu cried, the tears streaming down her face.

She thought, _I must be strong, like Senpai. When they hit him he didn't cry, he knew that it was love. That's why he couldn't love me._ To distract herself from her boyfriend's painful love, she thought about the person who taught her the most about love, her Senpai, her first crush, her Keitaro.

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A/N: Here it is. I hope you like the way the story is told, and that you hate Sean as much as I hated to write him. Fear not, things will improve. Remember, a review is the best way to let me know what you like and what you think will happen, or what you'd like to see happen.

Have a good one, until next time.


	2. The First Man

LOVE HINA: WARPED DEVOTIONS

CHAPTER TWO: THE FIRST MAN

The black haired menace stood over her, like a volcano, dark, ominous, and ready to erupt. The leather belt he held hung down from his hand like a dead snake, full of poison. The kitchen light was behind him, making him appear as a silhouette. He raised his hand with the belt in his grasp; it seemed to come to life, copying his hand's movement up, up, up, above his head. His eyes narrowed and he thought, _Once the punishment is over, I can love you again. You break the rules, you pay the price, but when this is over, I can love you again._

She heard the belt whistle as it ripped through the air to hit her bare arms. She felt the sting as it connected initially, and then the leather strap wrapped around her arm and hit a second time. Sean pulled the belt, still wrapped to her arm, she tumbled to the floor. He raised the belt again to hit her exposed back.

Shinobu was ambivalent about all this. She was torn between her feelings of self-preservation and 'knowing' that this was the proper way to express love. She looked at her arm, there was a bruise starting to form on her forearm. Between winces of pain, she thought, _Darn, I'm gonna have to wear some long sleeve shirts for awhile. My back is gonna need a nice long soak, maybe I can go to the nurse for bandages_. She contemplated all this and she never once thought that anything was wrong. She was happy that her boyfriend loved her, and she knew that he would later hold her and comfort her, telling her that it was all going to be okay. She would believe him and life would go on.

A few minutes later, Sean stopped. He threw the belt across the room, kneeled down, faced her head, and said, "Shinobu, I'm not mad that you went to meet another guy for lunch, I'm just disappointed that you didn't ask for permission. Besides, what did you think, trying to hide it like you did? I would have let you go, if you had just asked. Do you understand?"

Shinobu looked up at Sean kneeling in front of her face. Most people in her situation would slap him and walk out the door, calling the police on the way out; she tried to see past the bleariness of her eyes, while tears ran down her face, leaving wet trails over her cheeks. Feebly, she replied, "I'm sorry, Sean, I understand, please forgive me."

Sean extended his hand to lift her off the ground, she took it and he pulled her into his embrace. She felt comfortable there, held by arms made powerful by years of baseball and football, and even a little boxing. She felt content there, feeling his warmth radiating off of him. She felt loved; the pain was just a reminder of what he felt for her. She wondered if Senpai ever felt this way after what kept happening to him. She remembered the first time she met her Senpai. She had been at the Hina house for a little more than a week, during which time she had almost completely taken over the laundry and cooking responsibilities, when he showed up.

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Shinobu was much younger when she met Keitaro Urashima. She was only just thirteen, then she was a much shyer person, she rarely ventured out of the house except to go to school, and the occasional trip for groceries. She wasn't very outgoing at school and she didn't make many friends, since Su shared most of her classes. One day she was doing the laundry, she'd just collected the clothes from the line and folded them, and she was walking down the hallway to deliver them to the tenants' rooms.

She heard Naru screaming about some pervert that she found in the hot springs bath. Shinobu looked in that direction just in time to see a young adult male running down the hall, this was unexpected enough, after all the _Hinata Sou_ was an all-girl's dormitory, even odder, this young man was naked.

He tore his way down the hall, stopping only to look at Shinobu's clothesbasket, grab a towel, and wrap it around his person, but not quickly enough that Shinobu couldn't get an eyeful of him. He was of moderate height, chestnut colored hair that matched the dark brown eyes hiding behind his square glasses. He wasn't exactly buff, but he wasn't really out of shape either, all-in-all, he looked like a nice guy. She couldn't stop herself from staring at his lower anatomy. She had never seen _that_ before, the cross-sections from her biology books weren't exactly clear on how _it_ appeared. She was very surprised, to say the least. Keitaro spat out an apology and then ran for his life from Naru, who was also towel clad. Shinobu knew what was going to happen and gently set down the basket and ran screaming to Haruka, whom she figured knew what was going on.

Later, once everything had calmed down, everyone was gathered in the living room where Haruka told the girls about Grandma Hina leaving Keitaro as the manager of the _Hinata Sou_. Predictably, Naru and Motoko both objected harshly. Both spouted off on their 'all men are perverted' rants. Naru forgetting that she was in fact the one who walked in on him. As for Motoko's part, when she saw him, she drew her sword and, thinking that he was just some peeping tom who got caught, she slashed at him to scare him away. When she accidentally cut off the towel, she started her own crusade to cause severe harm to the 'pervert.'

Surprisingly, Kitsune accepted, as did Su. Kitsune remembered that when she saw him on his towel-clad romp through the house, he was really just lost and confused; he was looking at her as though she would help him. Besides, she heard from Haruka that Keitaro was supposed to be in Tokyo U by now, so she figured that he would be worth some money someday. She also helped perpetuate the story, until Keitaro finally spilled the beans on being a second year failure.

Su saw him and figured that she could test the to scale missiles from her small robots and that no one would care what happened to him, but much to her surprise, he dodged all the little missiles she fired from her miniature robots. Kitsune was glad to finally have a manager again, the house was looking a little…unsanitary, and having somebody else to clean it meant that she wouldn't have to. Su was just happy to have somebody new to play with, though her definition of 'play' included missiles, explosives, and giant robots.

The entire house looked at Shinobu, eager for her answer. Naru sniggered; she figured that she had the ultimate leverage against Keitaro. Naru snuck down by Shinobu and, in a hushed voice, reminded her of what Keitaro did to her. Shinobu blushed heavily and said, "I think that Keitaro should stay."

Naru threw up her hand in a victory sign, "So there, three people have voted against…What did you say, Shinobu?" Naru's brain finally heard what Shinobu had said, even after the little girl had been reminded of what the perverted male had done to her. _Or perhaps because of it,_ thought Naru. She looked suspiciously at the young lady, unsure of how to press on.

"I s-said that I think t-that he s-should s-stay," Shinobu stuttered back, a little apprehensive about what Naru would do. Instead of saying anything, Naru shot a glare at Keitaro that said, "You put one foot out of line and I'll punt you through the ceiling."

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After that things quieted down, Keitaro did all of the jobs that a landlord should, cleaning the place, even the hot springs. That particular chore had caused quite a fluster when he started, since the girls did not use his 'occupied' sign to warn him that someone was in there.

Naru would punch him with enough force to literally send him flying out of the springs. Motoko had been a student of the martial arts for long enough to be able to use her ki, or inner energy, as a projectile attack. Using that energy she also was able to send him flying out. Kitsune, Su, or Shinobu were able to summon either of the two more physical girls to eject him with just a scream. Until the issue with the warning sign was resolved, Keitaro had to deal with quite a few extra bruises than he was used to. It didn't seem to faze him, though. Most of the girls thought that he liked it, but Shinobu was the only one who dared to ask him.

"Um, Senpai," Senpai is an honorific term used to address one's senior, especially one who was trying to teach. Shinobu had begun using it once Keitaro agreed to help her with her homework; after all, if Keitaro was trying to get into the most prestigious school in all of Japan, Tokyo University, she figured that he would help her with her elementary school homework. Naru claimed to be too busy studying to help her and Shinobu didn't feel like imposing on Motoko. Su and Kitsune were out of the question, since Su was only a year older and Kitsune was usually not sober.

Besides, Keitaro was the manager and it was his duty to help his tenants. Shinobu also liked having him help because she had a crush on him. It was the first boy she knew who didn't make fun of her like the ones at school; in fact, he seemed to be more mature than most of the _Hinata Sou_ residents. Shinobu admired that quality. She remembered the first actual day of landlord duties he had to perform.

She heard from some of the other residents that Naru had given him a mop and bucket and forced him to clean the entirety of all three floors of the former inn, the hot springs, the basement, all the empty rooms, and the roof. Then she jury-rigged a pulley system and hung him up to clean the windows. She was incredibly cruel to him. Shinobu heard the story second hand from Kitsune, so she doubted the authenticity of it, but when she asked Keitaro about it, his answer made her both sad and angry.

"Well, Shinobu, I'm just doing the _kanrinin_'s job. That's all," Keitaro replied sheepishly.

"So is painting the bottom of the roof just part of the job?" Shinobu asked from the safety of the ground. She figured that Kitsune was just spicing up the story to scare her, but now Shinobu knew better. That night in the hot springs, Kitsune confronted Naru about it. Shinobu kept quiet, but on the inside, she was very angry with Naru about trying to get Keitaro to leave.

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Three weeks later, Shinobu's birthday rolled around. She figured that everyone would have a big party ready once she got home from school that day, but there was nothing. Nobody decided to jump out of behind the couch to yell surprise. There were no presents waiting for her on her bed. Shinobu didn't even get a call from her grandparents. It looked like everybody forgot about her. She morosely fixed dinner, she worked rather absent-mindedly, but everyone liked it, even if it was a little bland compared to what Shinobu usually cooked. Keitaro opened up the book that Grandma Hina used to put profiles of the residents into. He noticed that it was Shinobu's birthday and was astounded that no one bothered to tell him.

Luckily, Keitaro was a genius at making desserts, his family was quite famous for their sweet shop and he had gotten very good at making cakes. Once he had one finished, he headed for Shinobu's room, not finding her there; he went up to the roof, but only after alerting the rest of the house of the gravity of the situation. Apparently, they all forgot about it and hurried out to get a present.

Shinobu was looking out over the balcony, and she saw the girls run from the house in a mad rush. Shinobu thought that they had all decided to go to karaoke, and they didn't even invite her, and on her birthday no less! She leaned over to see if Keitaro was with them. At that moment, Keitaro burst through the door and yelled her name.

Shinobu jumped a little, but it was enough, she was falling, that was going to be it. She was going to die at fourteen, everyone forgetting about her, and she was going to be a big mess for her crush to deal with later.

She opened her eyes and looked down, _Yay! I'm not dead. Why am I not dead?_ She looked up and saw that Keitaro had jumped out and grabbed her ankle at the last moment. After spending the next few minutes getting her up, he apologized to her. _What?_ Was all the little girl could think, _You apologized for saving my life? That's so mean!_ She was too furious to start crying and ran to push him over when she slipped. She had fallen face first into cake frosting. She took a closer look at Keitaro, who was covered in it. _Oh, he was apologizing for messing up the cake. Now I feel stupid._

Keitaro tried to pull her up and ended up slipping too. Finally they both pulled on each other enough to get up. They started to walk to where the cake frosting didn't cover the ground when the door opened up. Everybody jumped out and screamed, "SURPRISE!!" Keitaro and Shinobu both fell down, Shinobu slipped on cake frosting, Keitaro slipped on Shinobu. They lay like that for a few seconds, Shinobu blushing with a passion as she realized that Keitaro's face was only inches from hers. Keitaro pale as white out because everybody was glaring daggers at him. He jumped up off of her and immediately slipped again.

Naru and Motoko both pummeled him, while Kitsune and Su helped Shinobu get up. She looked sadly at Keitaro and wondered why he didn't do anything about getting hit like that. She remembered that one day when she asked him about it during homework.

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"Um, Senpai, why do you let Naru and Motoko beat up on you like that? Doesn't it hurt?

"Well, Shinobu, it does hurt. I won't lie. But, I have my benefits. Nothing that they do lasts for long and that proves that they really do care. They put up a mean front, but it's like when friends make fun of each other, it's just for fun." Keitaro Urashima had a good deal of time to sort this out, because after Naru or Motoko pummeled him out of the house, he went on very long walks and during that time, he conceived his idea of why they hit him, why there was no permanent damage, and why they were just around the corner when the accidents occurred. "As for the why, I think that they are attempting to use classical conditioning, like Pavlov's dogs. You know…stimulus response."

"Who was Pavlov? What did he do to the poor doggies? What is a stimulus response?" asked Shinobu. She had never heard of these terms before and she really wanted to understand what Senpai was thinking. If she knew what was going on, then she could help.

He explained about Pavlov's experiment, about how he found out that the dogs would salivate, expecting food at a certain time when a bell rang. Then, Pavlov noticed that the dogs would salivate just to the bell and Pavlov went on to test his ideas. But Shinobu really didn't listen to any of this. She thought about all the times she had seen Keitaro without a smile on his face.

It was heartbreaking to her; several times after the beatings, she would be the one that he would go to for the minor first aid that he required. She had bandaged many cuts, put ice on many bruises, put balm on many burns; she even set his nose once. She was familiar with his injuries and was very worried about him.

Still, Motoko and Naru kept up the regimen, assaulting him anytime he managed to find himself fallen onto one of the girls, usually Kitsune, who managed to set up the accident in the first place. Later in the day, Su would launch herself, foot first, followed by launching the payload of missiles in her most recent Mecha Tama. What Keitaro had to go through daily would likely kill a lesser man.

Shinobu, in the middle of Keitaro's explanation, suddenly remembered that he never answered her first question.

"So Pavlov called the bell ringing a stim--."

"Senpai, you never told me why you let Naru and Motoko hit you." Shinobu practically yelled out, she realized that she had interrupted her Senpai and then her face turned a deep crimson color.

Keitaro put his hand behind his neck and laughed guiltily, that was his 'darn, I've been caught' gesture. To Shinobu, it made him look insanely cute, and because his cuteness suddenly increased tenfold, Shinobu blushed twelve times deeper.

"Well, it's like this," then Keitaro paused for just a second. Try as he might, he himself had no idea why he let them hit him. He supposed that it was because he couldn't kick them out. Even though he was manager, he wasn't heartless. It took him a few seconds to do something that he swore he would never do again, lying to Shinobu. "I am trying to change them too, I am just using a different method. It's called nonviolence. I'm refusing to fight back as a protest, like Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and César Chavez. I fight back by not fighting. Does that make sense?"

To Shinobu that last question sounded like it was meant as much for Keitaro as for Shinobu. She answered yes and thought, _Wow, Senpai is so wise. He's found a way to fight back without hitting back. So smart. That's why he helps me, even though I already understand most of this. I just like him being with me when he smiles. _

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Sean had moved to end the hug and turned back to the kitchen to get some ice for Shinobu's back. She almost fell from not having the weight to lean back on. She slowly made her way to the couch and flopped down on it.

She knew from the way she felt that there was nothing serious, likely just a lot of red. Maybe one or two bruises. _That's what I get for not trusting Sean. He would have let me go if I'd asked him, I guess I should wait for awhile before I see Senpai again. Oh, darn it! He's probably already getting reservations for next Saturday. Better wait a few days before I tell Sean._

"Hey, Shinobu, I'm back and I've got ice. Let's see what we're dealing with." She felt him lift up her shirt in the back, there wasn't very much pain and it was already feeling tingly. "Well it just looks red. I'll get some more ice and how about we watch that new movie you rented."

"I love you, Sean." Shinobu meant every word. The affection she felt for the young man standing before her was genuine and full. She loved the way his hair fell over his face in the front, she liked the way he held her, she fit in his arms so well. She loved his eyes; they were a deep, dark brown, like his hair. She wanted to experience the moment. He picked her up off the couch and looked into her eyes. He smiled, she rejoiced. She loved to see people smile. Ever since she was feeling depressed and Keitaro sketched her in his notebook with a smile instead, she found smiles irresistible.

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She waited several days before talking to Sean about going out, she was dropping hints about it until Wednesday, but didn't actually ask until next Friday. Sean was livid.

"What?! Just a week after this guy shows up you want to meet him again? And you won't at least take me along? What if this guy's a pervert or something?" Sean asked, his utter calm belying his intense fury.

"He's an old friend and don't you dare call him a pervert!" Shinobu screamed back, her dislike showing a touch more openly.

"Well, it's not like I was planning on us doing anything that day so I guess I don't really have a problem with it. Do as you like." Sean crossed his arms over his chest. He had just played the Cheater's Gambit he heard so much about from his friends when they couldn't make a poker game or a night at the bar. Their girlfriends said that and his friends immediately backed down because they knew that going through with the previous plans were tantamount to suicide.

"Thank you, Sean. I'll be back by two." Shinobu turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

Sean sat down on the couch with his arms crossed over his chest. He thought to himself, _She's going to have to have another lesson; I think I'll give her a surprise._


	3. The First Revelation

Okay, I don't know if I did a disclaimer before or not, so here it is, once and for all. I do not own Love Hina. Ken Akamatsu does (and I'm glad he does). I do own Sean, but that's not much of a consolation.

Here's Chapter three, everybody.

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LOVE HINA: WARPED DEVOTIONS

CHAPTER THREE: THE FIRST REVELATION

Saturday was not the best kind of day for an outing, the sky was overcast, the wind was a little nippy, and it looked like it was going to rain.

"G'bye, Sean. I'll see you later," remembering that Sean would likely want a time to expect her, she quickly added, "around four o'clock, okay?"

He turned his head around to look at Shinobu, who was standing behind the couch that he was currently sitting on. She looked very pretty in her nice, blue sweater, the one that went well with her hat. She was carrying her small, red umbrella just in case of rain. She also wore the bracelet he gave her for Christmas last year; it was silver with a small ruby insert. She always insisted that she looked better in silver, and he had to agree.

"Alright, see you then. Have a good time." said Sean as he watched Shinobu close the door behind her.

Sean was questioning his motives as to whether or not she was doing what he thought she was. _She's cheating. She never told you thing one about him until he showed up. _Sean heard the voice in his head, that cynical, depressed, self-destructive side of himself. _She had a picnic with him in secret, hidden from you! Now you find out that he was her landlord for a few years and that she's got an old crush on him. _The little voice had a point, and it kept mounting evidence. _And to top it all off, less than a week later, she wants to see him again. _Sean's face had slowly been showing proof of his growing displeasure; the little voice only needed one more damning item to ensure that he will act on his fears. Just one more statement is all that was needed to push him into action. _She's even going out of the way to make sure that I'm not there, and let's face it, a two hour lunch doesn't happen._

Sean set the controller lightly on the couch and got up to turn off the system. He didn't ask where she was going, but he figured that her little date book would know. He walked into Shinobu's room and peered inside through the open door.

Her bed was made and there wasn't a wrinkle anywhere to be found. Her shelves had books on them, arranged by author and height. And there was also an entire shelf of manga, mostly romance, lots of comedy. The floor was immaculate. There was a full length mirror on the outside of her closet door, the closet was full of clothes, several very nice shirts, mostly long-sleeved, the floor of the closet was covered in shoes and there were a few hats sitting on the top shelf.

From the way her room was so clean, he figured that she used to be a maid, but she told him she never was. In fact, her room was so clean that he was suspect to the cluttered desk, papers were everywhere, except on the floor around the desk, and it looked very out of place. Since that was likely where the date book was, that was where he started the search. Carefully lifting up a few papers, he saw her sketchbook. Shinobu really was very good at art and it showed, this page was one of her older sketches of Sean before they were dating. He was standing at the plate getting ready to smash the pitch. She did a very detailed drawing; she even caught the five o'clock shadow he had by putting a few small lines coming off of his chin.

He stared flipping pages, this particular sketch was about halfway into the book and he looked at the cover to see just how long she had this book. The date was from about four years ago, and inside the cover was a note.

"Hey Shinobu, I noticed that you have a talent for drawing and I picked this up for you. Hope you like it, I'd love to see it full of wonderful pictures, Keitaro Urashima." Sean recognized the name; it was that guy that Shinobu was going to meet. He quickly flipped through the opening of the book and saw several pictures of a younger Shinobu in the arms of a much older gentleman. Sean got a pretty good look at the guy, the face was pretty normal; he had dark hair and dark eyes hiding behind his enormous square glasses. Sean couldn't tell exactly what color, since Shinobu didn't color in the picture. The picture clearly showed what Shinobu thought of this Keitaro guy. The young girl in the picture had her eyes closed and her lips parted while Keitaro appeared to be getting ready to kiss her.

Sean flipped past that page so hard that there was a small tear. His face was contorted with anger, his mouth a snarl, his eyes were little more than beads filled with fire. He kept going through the book, seeing several similar pictures. None of them were more explicit, they were all pretty tame.

Sean got to the more recent pictures, several of Tokyo University, a few of Sean and her. Finally Sean got to the last page. It was actually on the inside of the back cover, it wasn't dated, but this Shinobu looked older than the one in the earlier pictures. This was another picture of Shinobu in Keitaro's arms. She was wearing a wedding dress and he was in a tuxedo. Sean tried to slam the paperback book shut. He tossed it onto the desk and found the date book in the mess of papers. It had one entry for today:

"Going to see Sempai at that new Italian place for lunch at 2:00, walk around for awhile afterwards. Catch up on things, ask about the girls, maybe tell him how I feel, see where it goes."

Sean got more satisfaction in slamming this book shut and tossing it back on the papers. He ran out, grabbed his coat off the rack, took his keys and locked the door. He checked his watch; it was about 2:30. He had spent a little time in the room, but not too much, there was still time to catch up to her and her beau. Sean remembered what he spoke with his Psychology professor about. Sean left America for several reasons; the biggest one was his father.

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Sean hated his dad. Sean's dad impregnated his mother when they were both in college, his dad the nerd, his mom the party girl. One night they got utterly smashed and what happened happened. His dad said he would help support the kid when it came, but apparently Sean's mother had different ideas. After Sean was born, she stayed around for about a month, and then left them both. Sean's dad raised him alone. Sean's father quit college and tried the best he could, but he couldn't bring himself to actually punish his son. Sean got away with practically everything.

And it wasn't just Sean that his dad couldn't control. Sean's father was a walking doormat, letting everyone just tromp all over him. He couldn't say no, he wouldn't stand up for himself, and, much to Sean's surprise, his dad always had a smile on his face. He was happy letting other people constantly take advantage of him. Sean hated him for it.

Sean's dad finally had enough when Sean was twelve and he sent Sean to a military boarding school. There Sean finally learned discipline. It changed him. Sean finally understood what his father did wrong, he had no discipline. His dad had nothing because he didn't try to keep anything. That's why his mom walked out. That's why everyone walked all over him. His dad was too soft. Sean refused to be that way. The military helped shape him, it told him that his father's softness was weak. No one ever actually, literally told him that, but he inferred it. He saw no one soft in the school. Sean was from then on, a convert to discipline. It was how he would control his life, it was his order.

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He wasn't getting into Psychology for the touchy-feely therapy crap. He was in it to figure out the criminal mind, get in their heads and make them pay. Sean was growing up hoping to be like a vigilante.

Sean shook his head as he walked down the sidewalk, he didn't need to focus on the past. He was going to talk to Shinobu about what was going on. He was going to need an excuse for going there, but he figured that he'd come up with something. What he was doing was simple; he was going to let Keitaro know that Shinobu was with him. That was final and non-negotiable. If Mr. Landlord had an issue with that, then Sean would deal with it.

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Shinobu and Keitaro had finished eating around 2:40 and were in the middle of a discussion.

"That chicken parmesan was good. How did you like…what was it you had again, Shinobu?"

"It's angel hair pasta in marinara sauce with roasted mushrooms. Anyway, how's everybody at the _Hinata Sou_?"

Keitaro leaned back in his chair and said, "Well, Kitsune actually started writing her articles again and she's drinking a lot less. Su hasn't made anything new since she started at Tokyo U, she also didn't change during the last red moon. Motoko has some pressing business at the kendo club that's keeping her pretty late. Naru and I are starting into our third year anniversary and…" He just trailed off.

"Senpai, what about you and Naru?" Shinobu asked with an eager sound in her voice.

"You don't want to hear about all that. Besides, what about your boyfriend? When does the house get to meet him? We'd all like to see him." Keitaro asked, in a desperate ploy to change the subject away from his relationship with Naru.

"Well, he plays baseball and he's going for a degree in Psychology. He's really nice and…" While Shinobu was thinking about what to say next the waiter walked by to collect their plates and drop off the check. Shinobu stopped him on his way past her and asked for a refill. She didn't notice that her sleeve rolled up past her bruise; Keitaro did.

"Shinobu, what's that?" Keitaro asked, more than a little worried.

Shinobu wondered what he was talking about, and followed his finger to her wrist. "Oh, that," Shinobu thought, _Oh darnit, he saw it. I have to come up with something._ "I fell."

Keitaro's eyes narrowed. He had a feeling that Sean wasn't exactly the wonderful boyfriend that Shinobu made him out to be. He grabbed her wrist gently and said with a firm voice, "Shinobu, I don't know of any fall that ends with a bruise wrapped around your wrist. We're leaving now. We have to talk."

Sean was looking in the window when he saw what Keitaro did. Shinobu looked very sad and Keitaro was walking her out of the restaurant. To Sean, it looked like Keitaro had enough with all the pussyfooting around and was heading to whatever hotel they were going to spend the next hour and fifteen minutes in. Sean shoved his hands into his pockets and followed them, intent on finding out what was going on.

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Shinobu was more than a little confused. _What was so wrong? Sean loves me, if anything, this is proof! I have to stop Keitaro!_. She pulled Keitaro into a nearby alley, Sean close on their heels.

Keitaro almost lost his footing as he was yanked into the alley. "Shinobu, what are you doing?"

"Good question, Keitaro wasn't it? What are you doing, Shinobu?" said a voice behind them.

"Sean? What are you doing here?" asked Shinobu. She certainly hadn't expected Sean to show up. He was standing in the entranceway to the alley. He didn't look happy.

Sean saw the fear in her eyes and was 100 certain that he had caught her about to cheat on him. "Oh, I don't know, catching you in the act I guess. Shinobu, could you not wait until you got to the hotel? And what about you, Urashima? Are four women not enough to slate your lust? Or could you not bear to lose Shinobu to someone else?"

Keitaro was pissed, to say the least. He didn't like this guy's ability to jump to the most idiotic of conclusions. Keitaro figured a direct attack on Sean was the best way to make him falter. "What if I am? It's not like I'm beating her or anything."

Shinobu could only look on as the two romantic interests of her life verbally battled for her. If she wasn't so frightened, she might have been flattered.

"I don't punish her without a reason. She breaks the rules, she gets punished. It's no different from spanking." Sean shot back after mentally recovering from what Keitaro said.

"Except that she's not a child anymore! She's a grown woman, and what's worse, you should know better. You're dealing with the human mind every freakin' day! What's wrong with you?!" Keitaro was angrier than he had been in a long time. As he screamed back to Sean, spit was flying from his mouth.

"I'm not a sadist; I don't derive any pleasure from this sort of thing. It's just discipline! If you break the rules, there are consequences. Life is like that." Sean shouted back.

Keitaro couldn't believe what he was hearing. This guy was trying to defend beating a woman as discipline. Hitting a woman was wrong, no matter the circumstance, no matter the reason, no matter the transgression. Keitaro figured that he had best separate Shinobu from this guy before things got really out of hand. "Shinobu, let's go report this guy. They'll make him stop what he's doing and we can get a restraining order or something."

Shinobu had been listening intently to the entire conversation. She was thinking about her ideas of love. Keitaro was a wise and worldly person; after all, he had gone on many digs with Seta all over the world. If Keitaro said that something was wrong, then chances are, he's right. But Shinobu liked Sean. She knew that as long as Sean was happy with her, she was fine. The hitting was her fault. She knew it. But, when Keitaro got hit at the Hinata House, it was usually an accident. Shinobu wasn't sure what she was feeling, but she trusted Keitaro.

That was when the first drop of rain fell. It dropped onto Keitaro's glasses. Then it started getting heavier, up to a light sprinkle. The sky darkened a little as the sun dove behind a black cloud. Sean looked up. "It looks like it's gonna get a lot worse before it gets better."

"Well, Shinobu, do you want to leave me?" Sean asked. He looked directly at her, deep into her eyes. He expected her to come back. He had been fair, he didn't see anything wrong, it was corporal punishment. When the rules get broken, punishment follows. He did have feelings for her, he really did. He figured that she would remember that even if what he did was drastic, it was fair and he never did it to be cruel.

Shinobu trembled, it was cold, her sweater was getting wet, her umbrella was still in the restaurant, she was thinking. Sean wasn't a bad person, she knew that, but she also felt that Keitaro was probably right. What was happening to Shinobu was wrong. What happened to Shinobu's mother was wrong. What happened to Senpai was wrong. She wasn't strong enough to stop any of that before, but now, she could stop this. She opened her mouth and said, "Senpai, he isn't a horrible person, don't think that. He just has some problems. I'm going to leave, but—"

Keitaro cut off Shinobu, "No buts, Shinobu, you leave, then we forget about this guy. That's that. He needs to get help, but if you stay, he'll just think that he's in the clear. Getting the police involved will force him to change things. He won't do anything if you just go back."

Sean clenched his fists, his discipline was failing him. The cultivated aggression he used for his sports was building up and this guy was getting on his nerves. More than that, Shinobu was betraying him. Sean did everything right, his discipline was tough, but everything else was better than in a normal relationship. They were only dating six months and he already sacrificed so much for her. He had a job on top of school and he took her out once a week, he got her flowers for no reason. He offered to take her out to dinner every so often. He had only seen his friends a handful of times. He did so much for her and she was walking out. He asked for nothing in return, he didn't pressure her into anything. He also wasn't a sex fiend like some of the other guys on campus. He didn't understand and he was ready to let loose his frustration on something.

Keitaro looked at him and knew what would happen. He knew that Sean was getting ready to do something that would result in a lot of grief for everybody. Keitaro made a decision. He jumped between Sean and Shinobu and said, "If you want to hit somebody, hit me."

Sean would have. His fist was ready to knock this guy into another time zone, but he felt someone grab him around the waist.

Shinobu pushed Keitaro out of the way and hugged Sean. She didn't have time to think about what to say, but she knew that she wouldn't let her Senpai get hurt in her presence again. "Sean, Keitaro is right. Just look at yourself. You were about to hurt him for doing what he thinks is right." Shinobu started crying, her words were muffled by Sean's jacket as she buried her head in his chest. "You really do need help. I need help. Please, if for no one else, help yourself for me. I know you love me, Sean. You know I love you. Please don't make me hate you. I love how you are when we're together, but Keitaro's right. Please ple—" She couldn't say anymore, her sobs were too strong to continue.

Keitaro didn't know what to say. He looked at Shinobu, she was always more mature than her age would normally allow, but this was just unbelievable. She defused a potentially, no a certainly dangerous situation with a hug. Keitaro was coming up with something to say while his mind was going with the idea that the young blue haired woman could stop a war with hugs.

Finally figuring out what he wanted to say, Keitaro opened his mouth, "Sean. Listen to her. She's being more mature than either of us now. She is the voice of reason. I'll take her to the _Hinata Sou_. Later, I'll be by to pick up her stuff. Get yourself some help. Do it for you, do it for her. She loves with all her heart, don't break it. She may come back if you've straightened up. We won't report you now, but if something else happens, I will."

Shinobu looked up at Sean, her eyes watery and bleary from the tears. He had seen her like that a few times before; he really hated to see her cry. The realization finally hit home like a Mack truck full of bricks. He guessed that he always knew it, but for whatever reason, couldn't believe it. He did this. He made her cry. He was to blame. He needed help, he resolved to talk to his professor the next day and get some counseling. For now, he had to try to apologize for the horrors he has done.

"Shinobu," as Sean spoke, tears started to form at the corners of his eyes, "I can never say I'm sorry enough. I'm going to talk with my professor tomorrow and see what my options are. I know that this is beyond forgiveness, but go and enjoy your time with Keitaro. I'll get through this, and then I'll let you know. Go. I'm sorry."

When he finished, he pulled her arms from him and lightly pushed her to Keitaro. He turned around and started walking off towards the apartments.

Shinobu looked up at Keitaro. He looked back. She was in his arms, their faces were close. Shinobu remembered the drawings she had done, and she blushed profusely. "C'mon Shinobu, let's get you home," Keitaro said as he let her go and started off in the direction of the _Hinata Sou_.

"Wait Senpai, I still need to grab my umbrella. I left it in the restaurant."

"Oh, right. Hey, you still want your old room right? I haven't changed a thing about it."

"Thanks, Senpai. How can I repay you for everything that you've done?"

Keitaro turned to look at her. "You don't need to repay me for that. It's something that had to be done. That kind of thing shouldn't be happening." Keitaro's somber attitude lightened up and he made that big, goofy grin that Shinobu loved. "Besides, we haven't had a decent meal since you left."

Shinobu smiled and replied, "Well, I guess we'll have to change that then, hm?"

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Okay, that's chapter three. Hope you're all enjoying it. I finally got her away from all the violence to go back to Hinata Sou...for some reason, I think things might get a little more violent. Big suprise.


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